We are one of the least neighbourly nations in Europe but behind closed doors
we have some of the happiest family lives in the western world, according to
new research

It might not be a part of the UK’s national image the tourism industry would wish to promote.

But a new study would appear to back up the idea that British people come across as cold and unfriendly – at least until one gets to know them.

A new comparison of international “well-being” measures suggests that the British enjoy some of the warmest and most fulfilling home-lives in the developed world.

But at the same time, people in the UK maintain decidedly more distant relations outside the home, emerging as less likely to be close to their neighbours than those in any other European country apart from Germany.

The apparent British paradox emerges in a new report published by the Office for National Statistics drawing together the most recent comparisons of measures on everything from happiness to health compiled by international organisations such as the OECD and the European Union.

It includes the results of a study of everyday life across the EU in which people were asked whether they “feel close” to people in their neighbourhood.

While almost 81 per cent of people in Cyprus agreed or strongly agreed, only 58.4 per cent in the UK did so, while across the EU two thirds concurred.

That ranked Britain 27th out of 28 countries included on the neighbourliness measure, only a tenth of one per cent ahead of Germany.

But the report also draws on an OECD study which asked people in 25 countries including mainland Britain to rate their own family lives.

Overall 90.9 per cent of British respondents said they were completely, very or fairly satisfied with their family life, putting Britain in fourth place, marginally behind Mexico.

Iceland emerged as the country with the happiest homes in the developed world.

Only 88.5 per cent of Americans and 83.4 per cent of French participants expressed satisfaction with their family life while Korea languished on 65.3 per cent.

But if the British emerged as something of a paradox on the question of relationships, the most dramatic contrast came from the Japanese on the matter of health.

When asked in official studies to rate their own current health only 30 per cent of Japanese people said it was good or excellent, by far the lowest in the OECD, and less than half the rate in the UK (74 per cent) or just a third of that in New Zealand.

Yet the study shows that the Japanese are among the healthiest people in the world.

Hedges: a common source of neighbourly tension

The study includes figures from the World Health Organisation showing that a boy born in Japan could expect to enjoy 72 years of full, active life while a girl would have 78 years, the highest in the OECD.

Japanese people were also ranked as the most miserable at work – 33 per cent less likely to be satisfied with their job than their counterparts in Mexico and 21 per cent lass satisfied than the British.

Ruth Sutherland, chief executive of the relationships charity Relate, said: “We know that there is a strong connection between our relationships and our personal well-being: relationships act as shock absorbers when times are hard and also help us to achieve our goals.

“Family relationships are an important part of this picture, so it is good news that today's ONS data shows 91 per cent of people in Great Britain reported being satisfied with their family life in 2012.

“We know that strong relationships are vital for both individuals and society as a whole, so investing in them is crucial.”